Daughter of Heaven and Earth: Guardians of the Galaxy
by thesituation016
Summary: Rhea has saved the future, but in doing so has trapped herself in 1973 with no way to return to her own time except for the long way so with nothing else to do she decides to travel the galaxy in search of adventure. (Sequel to Daughter of Heaven and Earth: Day of Future Past.)(Reviews are not only welcome, but they are demanded!)
1. Chapter 1

1975…

Rhea quietly made her way through the halls of Asgard making sure not to draw attention to herself. She wore a simple grey gown that was hiding her real clothes with a veil over her head casting her facial features in shadow. She was almost to the hanger when she quickly had to dart behind a pillar.

She peeked around watching as her father Loki walked by book in hand while her uncle Thor talked to him about a resent training bout he had had with the warriors three and the Lady Sif. Her right hand fisted itself into the fabric near her heart gripping her locket which lay underneath as she willed her tears to stay at bay. It was almost overwhelming, the need to rush out and hug him, but she knew that she couldn't and it hurt her heart deeply.

Once they were out of sight she moved on soon coming up to the hanger looking through the different flyers until she spotted the one she wanted. It was a sleek silver flyer with feathered wings engraved along the sides, she knew it was the latest model and in her time it had endured while others had come and gone, in short it was perfect.

A wave of her hand and she was able to blend in with the shadows that stretched across the hanger caused by the setting sun. She easily avoided the guards and came upon her chosen ship waiting until the guards were further away before she quietly snuck into the ship.

"Now for the fun part." Rhea said as she started up the engines alerting the guards to her presence.

"Hey!" The guards called out as they ran for her.

"Get out of there!" Another yelled.

"Yeah, I'll get right on that." Rhea muttered as she maneuvered the ship to the runway then shot off into the air. She manipulated the controls pausing when she looked to the monitor. "Crap."

Rhea put it on auto-pilot and raced for the top opening climbing out to the roof where she was able to see non-other than Thor himself in his entire ego inflated glory.

"Return that ship at once or face the consequences!" Thor roared. Rhea tugged on her hood making sure that it was secure before she answered.

"Sorry, but I need it more than you, plus it's not really staling from my point of view." Rhea shrugged with a slight grin, her mouth the only thing that Thor could see of her facial features.

"Then I will have to force you!" Thor threw his hammer at Rhea who raised her hand on instinct and to both her surprise and Thor's caught the legendary hammer.

"Ok, was not expecting that." Rhea commented as Thor looked to her in shock and horror before he fell into the water they were flying over. Rhea nearly doubled over laughing as Thor came sputtering out of the water then held up the hammer. "You want it? Go and get it!"

Rhea threw the hammer so it landed on the beach that Thor would have to come up on when he swam for shore. She felt kind of bad for doing that to her uncle, but she couldn't very well let him catch her. She jumped back into her ship and took off before she got any other Asgardians attempting to take their ship back, although that would be difficult since she sabotaged all of their ships. Thor could only watch as the ship sped off into space with an angry roar before he was forced to swim for shore.

-0-

2004…

The sleek silver flyer with feathered wings engraved along the side traveled through space at a lazy pace. It was one of the best ships from Asgard and the pilot should know, she took careful care in picking out which ship to steal when she had slipped back into Asgard about forty one years ago. Said pilot was sitting in the cockpit with her legs propped up as she read 'The Uninvited' while humming to herself.

She was wearing a dark green v neck halter crop top with black accents, black skinny pants, that tucked into knee high black heelless boots, a black low hanging belt, an empire waist length long sleeved black leather jacket closed at the bottom by one strap, a pair of black wrist length backless gloves with the fingers on either side of the middle finger bare, and she had on three pair of emerald suds accented in black going up each ear getting smaller as they went that when pressed turned into a pair of black goggles with dark green lenses.

She also had a silver dove with blue sapphire eyes entwined with a golden serpent with emerald eyes engraved on a black oval locket that hung around her neck from a black chain to the center of her chest, holographic pictures of her family both blood and extended kept inside.

Over her left eye extending to encompass it was an open triad pinstripe tattoo meaning magical inspiration with the body color of pink and flashes of orange fucia with opal like over flashes of blue and lavender embedded into it and glowed in the dark the same way as it showed in the light.

Groot was behind her starring out at the stars as he usually did in their down time, humming under his breath along to the Rat Pack music that was playing over the speakers. She had met Groot when she had been on a fuel stop at Planet X. There had been trouble with him defending a Maintenance Mammal from the prejudice of another. It had elevated into a brutal fight that left Groot's opponent in a horrible condition. He had been exiled because Maintenance Mammals were seen as second class citizens therefore Groot was seen in the wrong. Rhea had tried to argue for him, but in the end just took him with her. They had been partners in crime and justice ever since switching between the two as the mood took them.

It was just getting to the good part of the song when their attention was taken by a beeping sound. Reaching up not looking away from her book Rhea let out an annoyed sigh as she pressed a flashing blue button.

"Rhea's mortuary, you stab them we slab them, no questions asked." Rhea said as she turned the page of her book, but as the person explained the situation to her the book lowered and a dark glare enveloped her features.

"Groot, we got a job." Rhea called out as she started to set in the location of her job.

"I am Groot." Groot replied from where he sat.

"Yeah you are." Rhea smiled as the ship shot forward.

-0-

Rhea walked through the ship her eyes narrowed behind her goggles her hands glowing a dangerously bright iridescent crackling with energy and a sneer on her face, Groot walking behind her ever the lumbering giant keeping her covered. Crew member after crew member were blasted out of her way by her magic or smacked away by Groot as they walked. She had gotten a report of a ship performing illegal experiments on various stolen life forms from different planets and that their captain/ head researcher had quite the bounty on his head which was an added bonus.

Rhea walked up to the last door and eyed the locking mechanism. It was state of the art, no one would be getting in there without the key code, no one but she and Groot that is.

"Do your thing Groot." Rhea stepped back allowing Groot to place his hand over the lock. His roots spread into the lock ripping it apart then Rhea forced the door open the rest of the way with a pulse of energy magic.

Readying her powers she and Groot entered a room filled with cages and one man holding a gun pointed straight at her. He fired she rolled forward and came up her hands pressed against his chest glowing dangerously as she leaned in close with a wicked look in her eyes.

"Drop it." Rhea ordered in a deadly voice and he did so with a sneer.

"They're just pathetic lower life forms." He defended himself.

"Not helping your case there Ki-Kel." Rhea replied before she punched him into unconsciousness then walked along the cages peering into each one. Some were empty and others held dead creatures of various planets in various mutated forms.

"I am Groot." Groot motioned to the last cage and Rhea hurried over to it. She saw the huddled form of a raccoon creature who was staring back at her, his eyes narrowed. He was pressed against the back of the cage, his arms wrapped around himself.

"Good job Groot." Rhea clapped him on the shoulder.

"I am Groot." Groot said proudly.

Rhea typed on the screen next to his cage and read what had been done to him. By the end of it she felt sick to her stomach and considered shoving Ki-Kel out of an air lock. Rhea easily hacked the lock and the door swung open suddenly causing the raccoon man to press harder against the back of the cage with a low warning snarl.

"Your file said elevated intellect so that means you can understand and you can talk. I'm Rhea, a bounty hunter, and this is my friend Groot, also a bounty hunter, both of whom are bringing the jerk who did this to you in so that he can be imprisoned for life." Rhea said easily. "So basically I bear you no ill will and hope you extend me the same favor."

"You talk like him." The raccoon bit out.

"Yeah." Rhea drawled out rubbing the back of her head. "Can't help it most of the time, way I was raised. What's your name?"

"I'm a lab experiment I don't have a name, just a number." He sneered as Rhea leaned back getting a look at the number.

"18-15-3-11-5-20, Rocket, I like it." Rhea commented.

"What?!" He snapped.

"The numbers are consistent with letters in the alphabet spelling out Rocket." Rhea replied with a shrug. "I think it sounds cool, it's a name that says you are exciting and up for anything, kind of spunky."

"Spunky?" The Raccoon deadpanned glancing over her shoulder at the scientist who was coming around.

"It's a word." Rhea replied then aiming her hand over shoulder hitting Ki-Kel with an electric blast sending him convulsing to the ground. "Groot, tie him up please."

"I am Groot." Groot nodded walking over and wrapping Ki-Kel in vines like a mummy.

"So you want out of this heck hole or what?" Rhea turned back to the raccoon.

"What choices do I have?" He said sarcastically as he stood to his feet.

"Only one positive one really." Rhea shrugged stepping back as he jumped out of the cage and looked up at her. Rhea quickly averted her eyes with a dark blush glancing around until she grabbed a sheet of a nearby med-bed and handed it to him. "Would you mind…?"

"Now what?" He snapped as he snatched it from her wrapping it around himself.

"Now we take this guy in and you collect the bounty." Rhea replied as Groot hoisted Ki-Kel up over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Me?" The raccoon looked suspicious.

"Well he wasn't holding me or Groot captive and experimenting on/ torturing us in the name of science now was he." Rhea replied as she and Groot led him through the corridors to her ship. "Welcome on board the 'Silver Dove.'" Groot dropped Ki-Kel with a thud, his head banging against the floor. "Oops-ish…not really."

"I am Groot." Groot looked to Rhea.

"Nah, we can pick him up later just leave it there." Rhea said kicking Ki-Kel over onto his back then going over to the console and putting it on auto pilot, the other disabled ship towed behind them. "So Rocket, you want something to eat or drink or both? I can call you Rocket right or did you have something else in mind for your name or…"

"Rocket's fine." He cut her off quickly.

"Sorry, I tend to rant." Rhea winced.

"I am Groot." Groot said.

"I'm not that bad." Rhea said with a pout.

"After we drop Ki-Kel off, what happens to me then?" Rocket asked.

"You join our team of course. We'll travel the universe bringing in bad guys for money and having adventures, doing a few good deeds on the side, and did I mention the explosions, we will have so many explosions! It will be epic!" Rhea said holding her hand out to him. "What do you say? Deal?"

"Sounds like fun." Rocket grinned taking her hand a shaking it. "Deal."


	2. Chapter 2

2014…

"Xandarians." Rocket commented from where he sat with his scanner. "What a bunch of losers, all of them in a big hurry to get from something stupid to nothing at all, pathetic." Rocket pointed his scanner at a white haired male. "Look at this guy, can you believe they call us criminals when he assaults us with that haircut?" Rocket laughed at a passing man then looked to a child. "What is this thing? Look how it thinks it's so cool. It's not cool to get help. Walk by yourself you little gargoyle!"

"It's a child Rocket, they tend to need help from time to time." Rhea said from where she was laying on her back on the edge of the fountain enjoying the warmth of the suns. Her jacket was baled up under her head for a pillow as her hands rested on her stomach.

"Whatever." Rocket looked up at an old man flirting with a young woman. "Look at Mr. Smiles over here, where's your wife old man, what a class A pervert." Rocket started to laugh. "Right Groot, Rhea?"

"You got me there." Rhea conceded then Rocket saw Groot drinking from the fountain.

"Don't drink fountain water you idiot, that's disgusting!" Rocket snapped at him, but Groot shook his head. "Yes you did, I just saw you doing it. Why are you lying?" Suddenly the scanner went off. "Whoop, looks like we got one."

"Sweet." Rhea sat up pulling on her jacket.

"Ok humie, how bad does someone want to find you?" Rocket worked the scanner. "40,000 units?!"

"Holy crap." Rhea looked wide eyed at the scanner, then saw his picture. "Peter Quill, he's cute."

"He's worth a ton." Rocket said shooting her a look. "No keeping."

"Oh come on, those last few people were either legitimately innocent or extremely adorable, I couldn't help it." Rhea defended herself, but Rocket continued to glare. "Fine, we turn him in."

"I am Groot." Groot said.

"I am not a soft touch." Rhea glared.

"In most cases you are, I admit you're scary as heck when someone provokes you, but as a rule, you're a bleeding heart." Rocket teased her.

"I hate it when you two gang up on me." Rhea pouted. "What did he do?"

"Who cares, we're going to be rich." Rocket smiled then saw Groot drinking from the fountain again and shook his head with a groan.

"Groot, out of the fountain, we got a job." Rhea said standing to her feet. "Rocket you tracking him?"

"Yeah, I got him." Rocket replied. "He's having an altercation with some green chick."

"Well let's bag him and tag him before she does." Rhea said as they made their move Rocket tackling the woman right before she could stab Peter.

"Put him in the bag!" Rocket ordered Groot. "Put him in the bag!"

"No not her, him!" Rhea called out as Groot wrapped his vines around the green woman that Rhea now recognized with a sickening feeling.

"Learn genders man!" Rocket snapped at Groot.

"I'll get him, you to take care of that." Rhea raced after Peter easily flipping in front of him.

"Biting, that's not fair!" Rocket yelped as Gamora bit his hand then broke Groots vines that held her allowing her to grab rocket throwing him off of herself into a window.

"Sorry handsome, but you're coming in with me." Rhea smiled, but before she could attack a knife thrown by Gamora struck the orb he was carrying making him drop it. The knife also almost hit Rhea who had to dodge to the side while the orb rolled along the ground and fell off the walk way.

Gamora jumped down to the lower level grabbing the orb as she ran. Peter used Rhea's distraction to his advantage jumping to the lower level as well before Rhea could grab him and tackled Gamora to the ground. Rhea rejoined with Groot and also made it to the lower levels, Rocket not far behind them.

"Fool, should have learned." Gamora snapped as she pinned him.

"I don't learn, one of my issues." Peter replied then he grabbed the orb and attached a rocket to her side sending her blasting off into a fountain. Quill stood up not noticing Groot and Rhea behind him until Groot threw the bag over him and picked him up.

"Good job Groot." Rhea said with a smile which Groot returned.

"Quit smiling you idiots, we're supposed to be professional." Rocket ordered them.

"Please, as long as we get the job done why be professional?" Rhea scoffed.

"You have got to be kidding me." Rocket groaned as Gamora pushed him aside and attacked Groot cutting off his limbs and slicing at his stomach making him drop Quill.

"Hey!" Rhea snapped blasting Gamora back with a bust of lightening knocking her out just as Quill came out of the bag shooting his gun hitting Rhea in the back causing an electric charge to force her to the ground. "Rocket! Blast his butt!"

"I live for the simple things." Rocket smiled as he took out a large gun. "Like how much this is going to hurt." Rocket took aim. "No one attacks my team and gets away with it." Rocket fire and Peter screamed as the electric charge hit him. "Yeah, writhe little man."

"That hurt." Rhea whined as she set up still twitching from the charges while Groot whimpered looking down at his limbs that Gamora had cut off.

"It will grow back you d'ast idiot." Rocket rolled his eyes. "Quit whining."

"Rocket, be nice." Rhea said right before something hit her in the neck. Reaching up she felt the device and let out an annoyed groan as a light surrounded them lifting them into the air while they were surrounded by Nova Corp. ships.

"Subject 89P13, drop your weapon!" One of the pilots ordered.

"Aw crap." Rocket said as he dropped the gun.

"This sucks." Rhea growled, arms crossed as she glanced over to where Peter was also being apprehended then to Gamora who was floating unconscious next to them.

"By the authority of the Nova Corps. you are under arrest for endangerment to life and the destruction of property."

"Fascist." Rocket scoffed.


	3. Chapter 3

They all stood in line up as a guard read off their files.

"Gamora, surgically modified and trained as a weapon, the adopted daughter of the Mad Titan Thanos. Recently Thanos lent her and her sister Nebula to Ronan which leads us to believe that Thanos and Ronan are working together."

Gamora looked extremely board and uncaring.

"Subject 89P13, calls itself Rocket, the result of illegal genetic and cybernetic on a lower life form."

Rocket spat on the floor with a snarl.

"What the hell is that?" Another guard asked.

"They call it Groot, a humanoid plant that's been traveling as Rhea and 89P13's personal house plant/muscle."

Groot leaned over looking through the glass.

"Rhea, Jotunn Terran Aesir hybrid, has powers of evocation over the elements and the power of transfiguration. Nothing is known of her past, she has absolutely no records prior to her first infraction, stealing her ship from Asgard 39 years ago. It is now in route back to them."

Rhea was swaying from side to side shaking her hips as she hummed "Jail House Rock" by Elvis Presley.

"Peter Jason Quill, from Terra, raised from youth by a band of mercenaries called the Ravagers led by Yondu Udonta."

"Oh I'm sorry; I didn't know how this machine worked." Peter said as he flipped them off.

"What a bunch of a-holes." The guard scoffed. "Transport all four to the Kyln."

-0-

"I guess most of Nova Corps wanna uphold the laws, but these ones here, they're corrupt and cruel." Rocket told them all as they were led through the halls of the Klyn. "But hey, that's not my problem; I ain't going to be here long. Me and Rhea have escaped 22 prisons. This one's no different. You're lucky the broad showed up because otherwise me Rhea and Groot would be collecting our bounty right now and you'd be getting drawn and quartered by Youndu and those Ravagers."

"I've had a lot of people try to kill me over the years, I ain't about to be brought down by a tree, a hot chick, and a talking raccoon." Peter scoffed.

"Flatterer." Rhea winked at him making him grin back.

"Hold."

"What's a raccoon?" Rocket asked.

"What's a raccoon?" Peter echoed looking away from Rhea and down at him. "It's what you are stupid."

"Ain't no thing like me except me." Rocket replied.

"You tell them Rocket." Rhea shook her head. She had never seen the need to tell him about raccoons on earth.

"So this orb has a real shiny blue suitcase, ark of the covenant, maltese falcon sort of vibe." Peter commented to Gamora. "What is it?"

"I am Groot." Groot said.

"So what." Peter snapped at him.

"Hey, be nice." Rhea thumped him upside the head then turned back to Groot as Peter shot her a look. "Those are Earth references to movies and a sacred religious relic."

"What's the orb?" Peter asked Gamora.

"I have no words for an honor-less thief." Gamora replied.

"Pretty high and mighty words coming from the lackey of a genocidal maniac." Rocket said as Gamora tensed. "Yeah, we know who you are. Anyone who's anyone knows who you are."

"Yeah we know who you are." Peter said then looked to Groot. "Who is she?"

"I am Groot." Groot replied.

"Yeah you said that." Peter snapped.

"She's a weapon for Ronan and Thanos the Mad Titan, a murderer." Rhea said with a dark look. "Just like the rest of her so called family."

"I wasn't retrieving the orb for Ronan." Gamora said as the guard used his wrist band to open the next door while Rocket watched closely. "I was betraying him, I had an agreement to sale it to a third party."

"I am Groot." Groot said as they walked through the doors.

"Well that's just as fascinating as the first 89 times you told me that." Peter said in annoyance. "What is wrong with giving tree here?"

"Well he don't know talk good like you and me." Rocket replied. "So his vocabulistics is limited to "I" and "am" and "Groot". Exclusively in that order."

"I tell you what, that's going to wear real thin real fast." Peter said as they came to another stop.

"You just have to learn to understand him then you don't notice it as much." Rhea said with a shrug.

"You understand him?" Peter asked.

"Yeah, I've known him for 24 years." Rhea replied then looked into the room next to them watching as the guard threw her necklace into a box with the rest of her things. "This is the worst part, them going through our stuff."

"Hey!" Peter snapped looking into where the guards were processing their stuff. "Put that away!" Peter slipped through the bars before they closed as the guard slipped on the head phones. "Hey listen to be you big blue b******. Take those headphones off, that's mine, those belong in impound, THAT TAPE AND THAT PLAYER IS MINE!" The guard jabbed him with his tazer baton forcing Peter to his knees. "Hooked on a Feeling by Blue Swede 1973, that song belongs to me!"

The guard electrocuted him again and again as he lay enveloped in spasms on the ground.

"Oi! That's enough!" Rhea snapped pushing against the door forcing it open.

"Rhea, that's not your problem." Rocket called out, but Rhea had already jumped up using the guard's knee as a spring board wrapping her legs around the guard's neck and throwing him to the ground and landing in a crouch position. More guards came in apprehending her rather harshly in her opinion and picking up Quill from the ground.

Rhea and Gamora were separated from the males and were then brought to a room where they were stripped down then blasted with an orange cleaning substance. Rhea was then shoved into another room wearing only a sports bra and a pair of tight boy shorts both black before she was issued her prison garb.

Rhea pulled on the pants and tied the sleeves of the shirt she was giving around her waist just as Gamora was shoved into the room. Rhea glared at her from where she sat waiting for the guards to move them on.

"Do you have a staring problem?" Gamora snapped.

"No, I have an anyone connected with Thanos problem." Rhea replied just as the guards came in and took them out where they rejoined the others. They were given bed rolls before they were brought into the main facility where the prisoners were all housed together.

"You first, I'm coming for you first!" A Prisoner shouted at Gamora along with the others all yelling and calling out threats as well as insults. The prisoners threw whatever they had at her.

"It's like I said, she's got a rep." Rocket shrugged as they walked on. "A lot of prisoners here have lost their families to Ronan and his goons. She'll last a day tops."

"The guards will protect her right?" Peter asked.

"They're here to stop us from getting out and that's it." Rhea replied without remorse. "They don't care what we do to each other inside."

"Whatever nightmares the future holds, are dreams compared to what's behind me." Gamora said darkly as large man came up to them.

"Check out the new meat." The giant blue guy said as he ran a hand along Peter's face.

"We got ourselves a real beauty here." Another purple inmate said as he took hold of Rhea's upper arm.

"I'm going to slather you up and Gunavian jelly, and go to town…" The inmate said to Peter, but the screams of pain from the purple guy who was now holding a frost bitten now useless hand.

Rhea slowly turned blue from her usual alabaster skin tone, her eyes blazing red with silver flecks, and darker blue tattoo like marking covering her body. She growled lowly in her throat at the whimpering purple man before she back handed him into a table and unconsciousness.

"Groot." Rhea said nodding to the blue guy and Groot walked up forcing his roots into the nose of the beast as he screamed in pain while Groot raised him off his feet. "Rocket, make a statement."

"On it." Rocket replied. "Let's make something clear, this one here is our booty!" Rocket pointed to Quill. "You want to get to him you go through us! Or more accurately we go through you."

Groot broke the blue guys nose before dropping him to the ground where he lay sobbing in pain. Rocket, Groot, and Rhea walked away without a backwards glance.

"I'm with them." Peter said and quickly caught up with them.

"I hate you." The inmate cried as Peter stepped over him.

"So…" Peter started as he fell into step next to Rhea whose skin started to turn back to a creamy alabaster. "You know about Earth culture."

"My mother was from earth and it was my home for a time." Rhea replied as they all stepped into a cell.

"But you turned blue." Quill pointed out.

"My father was Jotunn." Rhea said.

"You mean a frost giant, how was that even…" Peter trailed off referring to the height differences of the two species.

"He was a runt and had an aesir form." Rhea replied with a shrug. "So what about you? Where are you from?"

"My mother was from Earth so, so am I and I never met my dad." Peter shrugged.

"Hey, if you two saps are done sharing they're about to serve some slop they call food." Rocket said ending their conversation. After eating the Klyn quieted down and the prisoners started to find places to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Rhea groaned as she felt Peter shift having decided to use his stomach as a pillow, not that he had complained, especially with a few dark looks she was able to clear out a whole cell for the four of them. Rocket was currently curled up on Groot who was sitting against a wall which his roots were digging into.

"Hey, they're taking that green chick." Peter said waking her up.

"Gamora? So?" Rhea yawned as she set up.

"I think they're going to kill her." Peter said standing up.

"And you want to save her?" Rhea looked to him.

"You just want to let them kill her?" Peter looked back as she eyed him then let out an annoyed sigh.

"Fine, let's go play hero, but I still don't like her." Rhea grumbled standing up with Peter and following to where he'd seen Gamora taken, Rocket waking up and following them.

"So what makes you dislike Gamora so much? I mean you were willing to attack that guard for tazing me." Peter said quietly.

"Her adoptive father and master is Ronan's master Thanos who captured, tortured, and brainwashed my father into attacking my mother and the rest of my family." Rhea replied with a dark look. "He very nearly killed them all."

"Oh." Peter said wide eyed.

"Yeah, oh." Rhea echoed as they came up on where Gamora was being held.

"Gamora consider this a death sentence for your crimes against the Galaxy." An inmate sneered as he shoved her against a pillar shiv pressed to her throat.

"You dare?" The imposing hulk known as Drax walked up to them causing the inmates to flinch back. "You know who I am yes?"

"You're Drax, the destroyer." The lead inmate cowered.

"And you know why they call me this." Drax said as Rocket caught up with Rhea and Peter.

"You slayed dozens of Ronan's minions." The inmate replied.

"Ronan murdered by wife, Ovette, and my daughter Cameria. He slaughtered them where they stood AND HE LAUGHED!" Drax roared glaring at the inmates. "Her life is not yours to take. He killed my family, I shall kill one of his in return."

"Of course Drax, here, I…" The inmate handed him his shiv then Gamora attacked taking out two of the inmates then holding the shivs she took from them to the last inmates throat and Drax's.

"I am no family to Ronan or Thanos." Gamora hissed then dropped her weapons as Rhea assessed her words. "I'm your only hope at stopping him."

"Woman, your words mean nothing to me!" Drax yelled as he held Gamora to a pole by her throat with a shiv ready to be shoved into her in his free hand.

"Hey, hey, hey…" Peter called out as he moved forward one hand outstretched.

"Oh crap." Rocket groaned, but Rhea watched him, her head cocked to the side.

"If killing Ronan is truly your soul purpose I don't think this is the best way to go about it." Peter tried to reason with him.

"Are you not the man that this witch attempted to kill?" Draw looked to him.

"Well she's hardly the first woman to try and do that to me." Peter replied then lifted up his shirt revealing a scar, Rhea's eyebrows rose as she looked over his abs. "This is from a smoking hot Rayjax girl, stabbed me with a fork, didn't like me skipping out on her at sunrise." He pulled down his shirt collar. "Right here, a Kree girl tried to rip out my thorax, caught me with this skinny little Auscverian who worked in records, I was trying to get information, have you ever seen an Aucaverian, tentacles and needles for teeth. You think I'm seriously interested in that then…" Drax just stared at him as Gamora struggled to breathe. "And you don't care, but here's the point, she betrayed Ronan and he's coming back for her and when he does, that when you…"

Peter made the kill sign across his throat.

"Why would I put my finger to his throat?" Drax asked with narrowed eyes.

"What?" Peter looked at him in confusion then realized. "Oh, this, it's a symbol." He repeated the action. "It's a symbol for you slicing his throat."

"I would no slice his throat, I would cut his head clean off." Drax replied.

"It's a general expression for you killing somebody." Peter said looking to another prisoner. "You've heard of this? Right? You know what this is."

"Yeah." The prisoner nodded.

"Everyone knows what it is." Peter said as Drax glared at the prisoner.

"No, no." The prisoner quickly amended making Peter hang his head. Rhea shook her head as she walked up to Drax.

"You can use her as bait to draw out Ronan and kill him in any way you want." Rhea said bluntly as she crossed her arms. Drax considered her words then nodded releasing Gamora who slid to the ground in a coughing heap as Drax starred down at the knife in his hand.

"I like your knife, I am keeping it." Drax said then walked away.

"That was my favorite knife." The inmate said sadly.

-0-

"Listen I could care less whether you live or die." Peter said as he Rocket and Rhea followed Gamora.

"Then why stop the big guy?" Gamora questioned.

"Simple, you know where to sell my orb." Peter replied.

"How are we gonna sell it when we and it are still here?" Gamora snapped.

"My friends Rocket and Rhea here has escaped 22 prisons." Peter replied looking to Rocket.

"Oh, we're getting out." Rocket nodded. "And then we're heading straight to Yondu to retrieve your bounty."

"How much was your buyer willing to pay for my orb?" Peter asked Gamora.

"Four billion units." Gamora replied.

"What!?" Rocket gasped.

"Cha-ching." Rhea breathed out.

"That orb is my opportunity to get away from Thanos and Ronan." Gamora said. "If you free us I'll lead you to the buyer directly and I'll split the profit between the four of us."

"I am Groot." Groot said as he walked up to them.

"Five of us." Rhea corrected.

"Asleep for the danger awake for the money as per fricken' usual." Rocket snapped before he walked off to Groot to find another place to sleep. Rhea walked up to Gamora meeting her gaze with a sharp penetrating look.

"If this is a trick and you betray us there is no star system where you can hide that I will not hunt you down to and kill you." Rhea said in a deadly voice then her face softened. "But I believe also in the benefit of the doubt, if you are truly turning your back on Ronan and Thanos then I apologize for my earlier attitude, I of all people should know how Thanos gains and controls his allies."

Without another word Rhea walked away catching up with Rocket and Groot leaving behind a mildly surprised Gamora.


	5. Chapter 5

"If we're going to get out of here we're going to need to get into that watch tower and to do that I'm going to need a few things." Rocket explained to them as they got out of the food line with their treys, Groot following behind. "The guards were security bands to control their ins and outs, I need one. Rhea…"

"I'm not sleeping with a guard." Rhea shot him a look.

"Come on." Rocket said, trying to hide his snicker. "Take one for the team."

"No. I've never had to sleep with anyone before despite it always seeming to be a part of your plans and we have gotten along just fine." Rhea snapped with a sharp look. "There are other ways to get it."

"Leave it to me." Gamora said.

"Fine." Rocket rolled his eyes. "That dude there, I need his prosthetic leg."

"His leg." Peter echoed.

"Yeah, god knows I don't need the rest of him, look at him, geeze." Rocket replied.

"Alright." Peter said as they sat down at a table.

"And finally on the wall back there is a black panel, blinking yellow light, do you see it?" Rocker asked as Peter looked up.

"Yeah." Peter nodded.

"There's a qaurnex battery behind it, purplish box, green wires. To get into that watchtower I definitely need it." Rocket told them.

"How are we supposed to do that?" Gamora asked.

"Well supposedly these bold bodies find you attractive, maybe you can work out some sort of trade." Rocket replied.

"You must be joking." Gamora sneered.

"No, I really heard they found you attractive." Rocket shrugged.

"Rocket, focus." Rhea shot him a look that he just grinned back at.

"Why can't you just use your powers?" Peter looked to Rhea.

"They stuck me with an inhibitor, all my powers are blocked." Rhea replied then turned to show him the steel disk with the red light that was the size of a make-up compact stuck on the back of her neck.

"I can get it off when we get the arm band." Rocket said, surprising Gamora and Peter at his concerned look for Rhea.

"Thanks Rocket." Rhea said, she hated being without her powers, made her feel empty and Rocket knew that.

"Look, its twenty feet up in the air in the most heavily guarded prison, it's impossible to get up there without being seen." Peter told them.

"I've only got one plan and that plan requires a freakin' quarnex battery SO FIGURE IT OUT!" Rocket snapped then calmed down. "Can I get back to it? Thanks. Now this is important, once the battery is removed everything is going to slam into emergency mode, once we have it we got to move quickly, so you definitely need to get that last." Suddenly there was a surging sound and all of the lights went out and the emergency lights went on along with the sirens. They all turned to where Groot was holding out the battery to them. "Or we could just get that one first and improvise."

"I'll get the arm band." Gamora said and rushed off.

"Leg." Peter said running off as well as Rocket groaned pressing the heels of his paws into his eyes.

"Maybe we should tell Quill we don't really need the leg." Rhea mused as she watched him run off. "To late now." Rhea clapped her hands together and rubbed them against one another. "Well, time to get to work."

"Prisoner, drop the device immediately and retreat to your cell or we will open fire." A tower guard said.

"I AM GROOT!" Groot yelled as he grew in size.

"Fire!" The droids opened fire blasting away at Groot who started to take out the droids.

"All prisoners return to your sleeping areas."

Rocket ran for Groot climbing up on him while Rhea started to fight back the guards. She grabbed one's arm twisting around him breaking the arm in the process then stamping down on his leg breaking that as well before elbowing him in the head then moving on to her next target. She moved swiftly avoiding the guard's fire except for a few grazes and taking them out one by one.

"You idiot, how am I supposed to fight without my stuff?!" Rocket snapped as Groot continued to fend off the droids.

One of the guards managed to knock Rhea back with the butt of his gun then leveled it at her with a smirk and was about to shoot her when Drax attacked them taking them out with ease giving Rhea time to get up and rejoin the fight.

"Thank you Drax." Rhea said as she fought side by side with Drax who nodded his acknowledgment to her thanks before he picked up one of the guards guns and looked to Rocket.

"Creepy little beast!" Drax threw the gun to Rocket who caught it with a smile.

"Oh yeah." Rocket opened fire forcing the guards back and taking out the droids.

"Rocket!" Gamora called out tossing him the arm band which he pointed at Rhea.

"Rhea, heads up." Pressing a few buttons the inhibitor off lined and Rhea pulled it off with a grin before destroying it.

"Now things are going to get good." Rhea said as she fired of multiple electric bolts at the enemy along with strong gusts of wind pushing them back and streams of fire.

"Move to the watchtower!" Rocket ordered Groot and the others as he started to work on his device.

Gamora jumped from one rail to the other reaching the tower while Rhea propelled herself up with a fire and wind stream landing next to Gamora. Groot grew up to the railing where Rhea grabbed Rocket pulling him onto the rail while Peter and Drax to climbed up him before pulling himself up as well. Rocket opened up the doors to the tower where the guard lifted his hands nervously in surrender.

"Groot, please remove this." Rhea said as she and the others walked in. Groot reached in with his vines grabbing the man and throwing him out. Rocket and Rhea instantly started in on the controls giving Gamora time to notice Drax.

"Spare me your foul gaze, woman." Drax yelled in her face.

"Why is this one here?" Gamora looked to Quill.

"I promised him he could stay by your side until he kills your boss." Peter replied. "And I always keep my promises when they're muscle bound whack jobs who will kill me if I don't." Peter placed the leg on the console. "Here you go."

"Oh I was just kidding about the leg, I only need these two things." Rocket said.

"What?!" Peter snapped.

"No, I thought it'd be funny." Rocket snickered. "Was it funny? Wait what did he look like hopping around?"

"I had to transfer him 30,000 units." Peter snapped.

"And now we're off to make 40 million, why are you complaining again?" Rhea mumbled not looking up from her work.

"That's not the point." Peter argued.

"How are we going to leave?" Drax demanded.

"Well he's got a plan. Right? Or is that another thing you made up?" Peter snapped as droids opened fire on them, but the glass remained in tacked.

"I have a plan, I have a plan." Rocket reassured them.

"Cease your yammering and relieve us of this irksome confinement." Drax cut them off.

"Yeah, I'll have to agree with the talking thesaurus on that one." Peter said as he looked out the windows at the firing droids.

"Do not ever call me a thesaurus." Drax glared at him.

"It's just a metaphor dude." Peter told him.

"His people are completely literal." Rhea said cutting through some wires and putting others back together with her fire power.

"Yeah, metaphors are gonna go over his head." Rocket agreed.

"Nothing goes over my head." Drax shot back. "My reflexes are too fast, I would catch it."

"Case and point." Rhea said.

"I'm going to die surrounded by the biggest idiots in the galaxy." Gamora said shaking her head.

"Who's the more foolish; the fool or the fool who follows him?" Rhea smirked at her making Gamora roll her eyes.

"Those are some big guns." Peter said making Rhea turn back to the action.

"Well snap." Rhea muttered and doubled her efforts along with Rocket.

"On my command, number one!" The blast cracked the glass.

"Rodent, we are ready for your plan." Gamora snapped.

"Hold on!" Rocket snapped ripping off a panel as Rhea put another back together.

"Number two." Another window was hit cracking the glass.

"I recognize this animal." Drax looked to Rocket. "We'd roast them over a flame pit as children. Their flesh is quite delicious."

"Not helping!" Rocket yelled.

"Number three!" More glass cracked. "All fire on my command. Three, two, one!"

Rocket made one last connection and Rhea flipped the switch causing everyone outside of the tower to begin to float into the air.

"They turned off the artificial gravity everywhere but here." Gamora said in amazement.

Rhea then released the tower so it began to float while Rocket commandeered the droids attaching them to the tower and using them as propelling rockets to move them out of the cell room.

"I told you I had a plan." Rocket said as he used the droids to navigate the tower down the hall bouncing off walls then crashing into the room where their stuff was being held closing the door behind them.

"That was a pretty good plan." Peter nodded.

"Huh?" Rocket smirked, pleased with himself.

"Let's get our stuff and get out of here before Rocket's head gets too big for the tower." Rhea said rubbing the top of Rockets head much to his annoyance.

Peter kicked through the left overs of the tower window allowing them all to climb and re-gain their stuff. Rhea happily pulled back on her necklace securing it around her throat before grabbing her clothes and satchel.

"Yeah, there it is." Peter said pointing out a large window. "Get my ship. It's the Milano, the orange and blue one over in the corner."

"They crumpled my pants up into a ball, that's rude. They folded yours." Rocket complained as Quiil accessed his own lock box while Rhea and Gamora walked over to him. He opened the box and started to dig though it opening his satchel.

"The orbs there, let's go." Gamora said upon spotting it.

"Wait, wait, wait." Peter said as he frantically dug around.

"What?" Rhea asked.

"That b****** didn't put it back." Peter replied angrily.

"Put what back?" Rhea asked.

"Here." Quill shoved his satchel into her hands. "Get them to the ship, I will be right back."

"How are you possibly…" Gamora started.

"Just keep the Milano close by." Peter cut her off as he started to run off. "Go, Go!"

"Let's get out of here." Gamora said urging Rhea on. Rhea sent one more look over her shoulder biting her lip before following Gamora to the Milano where they joined the others and took off.

"Well, how's he gonna get to us?" Rocket demanded.

"He declined to share that information with us." Gamora replied.

"Well screw this, then." Rocket snapped. "I ain't waiting around for some humie with a death wish. You got the orb right?"

"I doubt it." Rhea said as she leaned back in her seat. Gamora glanced from her to the satchel and opened it up, but found no orb. "You didn't really trust him to trust us with his ship and not abandon him did you?"

"If we don't leave now we will be blown to bits." Rocket complained.

"No." Gamora snapped. "We're not leaving without the orb."

"Behold." Drax said drawing everyone's attention out of the window where they could see Peter with his mask on zooming over to them.

"Oh I like him." Rhea smiled as they rushed over to the hatch and let him in.

"This one shows spirit. He shall make a keen ally in the battle against Ronan." Drax complimented Peter as her unzipped his jacket and his mask removed itself. He took out a cassette player and ejected the tape. "Companion, what were you retrieving?" Peter handed him the cassette player. "You are an imbecile."


	6. Chapter 6

Rhea was kicked back playing Zi-Zi's Journey on her violin hologram that came from her locket while Rocket hummed along as he tinkered.

"Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa, yo, Ranger Rick! What are you doing?" Peter snapped at Rocket as he pulled apart a piece of the ship. "You can't take apart my ship without asking me. See, what is this?"

"Don't touch that." Rhea warned as she rolled her eyes at the interruption putting her violin away back into her locket.

"Why not?" Peter questioned.

"It's a bomb." Rocket said.

"A bomb?" Peter echoed.

"Yup." Rocket nodded.

"And you leave is lying around?" Peter said.

"Rocket, if I told you one I told you a thousand times, pick up after yourself." Rhea admonished him lightly.

"I was going to put it into a box." Rocket replied opening a drawer.

"What's a box going to do?" Peter snapped.

"How about this one?" Rocket said taking out a colorfully wrapped package.

"No! Whoa! Hey!" Peter grabbed the package shoving it back into the drawer and closing it.

"Why? What is it?" Rocket asked.

"Shut up!" Peter snapped.

"Hey!" Rocket scoffed.

"What is that?" Peter pointed to the machine Rocket was working on.

"That is for if things get really hardcore." Rocket replied with a glint in his eye. "Or if you want to blow up moons."

"No one is blowing up moons." Gamora said as Rhea got up and walked over to the table where a hologram was playing over it.

"You just want to suck the joy out of everything." Rocket grumbled as he got back to work and Peter also walked over to the table.

"So listen, I'm going to need your buyers coordinates." Peter said to Gamora.

"We're heading in the right direction for now." Gamora replied as she picked up the orb.

"If we're going to work together you might try trusting me a little bit." Peter said walking over to her.

"And how much do you trust me?" Gamora questioned.

"I'd trust you a lot more if you told me what this was." Peter replied taking the orb and setting it down on the table. "because I'm guessing it's some kind of weapon."

"I don't know what it is." Gamora replied.

"If it's a weapon we should use it against Ronan." Drax said picking it up.

"Put it down you fool, you'll destroy us all." Gamora snapped at him.

"Or just you murderess." Drax snarled.

"I let you live once princess." Gamora got into his face.

"I am not a princess!" Drax snapped then both of them winced snapping their hands to their ears as they looked to Rhea who had let out a piecing whistle.

"That is enough." Rhea snapped with a dark glare. "You two don't get along I get that, but I don't want to hear about it so separate now!"

"Right, no one is killing anyone on my ship." Peter added. "We're stuck together until we get the money."

"I have no interest in money." Drax replied tossing the orb to Peter before walking away.

"Great, that means more money for the four of us." Peter said easily then Groot huffed. "For the five of us. Partners?"

"We have an agreement, but I would never be partners with the likes of you." Gamora sneered. "I will tell the buyer we are on our way and Quill, your ship is filthy."

"Oh she has no idea." Peter said as Gamora walked away. "If I had a black light this place would look like a Jackson Pollock painting."

"You got issues Quill." Rocket shook his head. Rhea rolled her eyes before returning to her previous position forming a guitar out of her locket this time. She started to strum out 'Hooked on a Feeling' closing her eyes as she played and catching Peter's attention, especially when she started to sing along softly.

"That was pretty good." Peter commented when she finished.

"Thanks." Rhea disbursed her guitar. "Music is a comfort of mine."

"Me to." Peter nodded. "You play a lot?"

"Whenever I can, do you?" Rhea asked.

"Nah, I mostly just listen. Never really tried playing an instrument." Quill shrugged. "How many do you play?"

"It'd be easier to ask what she doesn't play." Rocket commented from where he was working on his next weapon.

"It's true." Rhea conceded easily. "My talents are very much attuned to music."

"Yeah, her cooking is a disaster though." Rocket snickered knowing that it was a sour point with her that she couldn't cook.

"Cram it ring-tail." Rhea grumbled as Rocket laughed.

"So how did you get from earth to out here?" Peter asked.

"I left earth, went to Asgard, and stole a ship." Rhea replied.

"Why'd you leave?" Peter once again questioned and regretted when he saw her face fall.

"My family and everyone I ever knew on earth is dead." Rhea said softly. "There was a war that never happened and they all died defending each other during it."

"What do you mean a war that never happened?" Peter asked, but Rhea stood to her feet.

"That is a story that I have only ever told those extremely close to me." Rhea replied as she started to walk away. "Sorry Star Lord, I just don't know you well enough."

"Do you know what happened to her?" Peter asked Rocket when Rhea was gone.

"Yeah, Groot and me are the only ones she's told." Rocket replied.

"I am Groot." Groot said looking to the way Rhea had left.

"Yeah, it is a sad story." Rocket sight as Peter followed Groot's gaze pondering about the woman.


	7. Chapter 7

A while later after she had gathered herself Rhea walked up to the cockpit where she found Rocket and set down in the co-pilots seat.

"You ok?" Rocket asked her.

"I'm fine." Rhea nodded as they traveled through a thick nebula. Rhea worked the monitor bringing up exterior readings while Drax and Gamora joined them. "We're coming up on something."

"Heads up, we're inbound." Rocket called out as they came upon a giant head of a decrepit looking robot.

"Whoa." Peter breathed out coming up the stairs and staring out at the head.

"I haven't been here for years." Rhea breathed out. "Still amazed every time I see it."

"What is that?" Drax asked.

"It's called Knowhere, the severed head of an ancient celestial being." Gamora replied as the others looked on in awe. "Be wary headed in, rodent. There are no regulations here."

"Gamora, keep calling Rocket rodent and I will set you on fire." Rhea shot her a dark look.

-0-

"Hundreds of years ago the Tivan group sent workers in to mine the organic matter within the skull, bone, Brain tissue, spinal fluid, all rare resources, highly valued in black markets across the galaxy." Gamora told them as they walked through the industrial city within the head. "It's dangerous and illegal work suitable only for outlaws."

"Well I come from a planet of outlaws." Peter commented making Rhea raise an eyebrow, but she chose to remain silent. "Billy the Kid, Bonny and Clyde, John Stamos…"

"Really?" Rhea remarked with an amused look and Peter replied with a cheesy grin.

"It sounds like a place of which I would like to visit." Drax commented.

"Yeah you should." Peter nodded as a bunch of kids ran up to them begging for units. "Watch your wallets." Groot held out his hand to a little girl forming a pretty flower and handing it to her making her smile as she gently held the plant between her fingers before he followed the others. "Get out of here!"

"You are so sweet Groot." Rhea commented making Groot smile.

"Your buyers in there?" Rocket exclaimed as they came upon a seedy looking club.

"We are to wait here for his representative."Gamora replied as they walked up just as the bouncer was doing his job.

"This is no respectable establishment, what do you expect us to do while we wait?" Drax questioned.

-0-

Drax, Groot, and Rocket were drinking and betting on the games in the bar while Gamora was looking for their contact. Rhea had opted on finding a quiet spot to relax and was currently standing on a balcony overlooking vast nebulas dotted with twinkling stars. Her hand was absent mindedly playing with her locket as the thought over all that she had left behind on earth.

"Man, you won't believe what they charge for fuel out here." Peter said as he walked up to her breaking her out of her thoughts. "I might actual lose money on this job."

"Yeah well welcome to Knowhere." Rhea shrugged as Peter stepped up next to her. "Gamora's connection is making us wait."

"It's a negotiation tactic, trust me, this is my specialty." Peter said leaning against the bars. "Where yours is more explosions and magic tricks."

"There are no tricks about my magic." Rhea said waving her hand lightly forming a trail of light. "It is a part of who I am as it was a part of my father before me."

"You said your father was controlled by Thanos." Peter commented as the trail of light turned to black shadows as her emotions soured.

"He did and he attacked Earth, but a group of heroes called the Avengers my mother was a part of was able to stop and save him." Rhea replied darkly. "He was falsely imprisoned for his crimes for a time by my Grandfather, but was set free after saving the earth once again from and attack by the Dark Elves."

"Yeah I heard about those attacks…wait, are you saying that your father his Loki? Loki of Asgard Loki?" Peter made the connection.

"That's the one." Rhea disbursed the nether. "He married my mother Vanessa Stark and had me two years before the dark elves attacked."

"But that would make you only three years old." Peter looked her over.

"That is a whole other story, but I assure you I am well past the legal age limit." Rhea replied with a wink before explaining. "I fought in a war that threatened to wipe out an entire species from the face of the earth, the war that took my family from me, I traveled back through time with my friend and changed history locking myself in the past preventing that war, but still lost everything and everyone I knew." Rhea shook her head then looked to his Walkman, taking it from his belt loop hearing the faint melody of Fooled around and fell in love by Elvin Bishop playing. "Why would you risk your life for this?"

"My mother gave it to me." Peter replied accepting the subject change. "My mom liked sharing with me all the pop songs that she loved growing up. I happened to have it on me when I was…the day that she…you know, when I left earth."

"I have not heard real decent earth music in years that I was not playing myself." Rhea said wistfully as Peter took the Walkman from her and placing the headphones on her ears; Rhea closed her eyes as the song washed over her, the feeling of familiarity was strong. She started to sway softly to it barely noticing Peter taking her hand as his other wrapped around her waist moving with her, her hand unconsciously resting on his forearm. It wasn't till his breath caressed her lips that her eyes snapped open and she placed her fingers against his lips stopping him.

"I know who you are Peter Quill and I am not some starry eyes waif here to succumb to your…" Rhea eyes him up and down making Peter, for the first time in a long time, blush as she once again met his gaze. "…pelvic sorcery." Rhea gave him a mischievous look as she leaned forward standing lightly on her tip toes until her lips were brushing his ear. "Don't do it unless you mean it Romeo. I only date if they're in it for the long haul."

Peter was about to make a witty reply when he heard a crash and looking over through the window back into the bar he saw Drax and Groot fighting.

"Oh no." Peter said and following his gaze Rhea couldn't help, but to share his sentiment as they rushed into the establishment.

Drax had pinned Groot and was beating his face when Groot wrapped his vines around him only for Drax to rip them away. Rocket raised up his gun pointing it unsteadily at Drax.

"Stop it!" Gamora roared as she pulled Drax back having also noticed the fight.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, what are you doing?" Peter snapped as he and Rhea arrived.

"Rocket, put down the gun." Rhea ordered standing in front of him.

"This vermin speaks of affairs he knows nothing about." Drax yelled.

"That is true." Rocket replied still holding up his gun.

"He has no respect." Drax went on.

"That is also true." Rocket agreed aiming his gun again.

"Hold on, hold on." Peter tried to calm them down.

"Keep calling me vermin, tough guy." Rocket challenged. "You just want to laugh at me like everyone else."

"Rocket you're drunk, alright, no one is laughing at you." Peter tried to calm him down.

"He thinks I'm some stupid thing, he does!" Rocket snapped, on the verge of hysterics. "Well I didn't ask to get made! I didn't ask to be torn apart, and put back together over and over and turned into some…some little monster."

"Rocket, no one is calling you a monster." Rhea assured him kneeling down so she could place a hand on his shoulder. "You know you are no monster."

"He called me vermin, she called me rodent." Rocket pointed to Drax and Gamora. "Let's see if you can laugh after five or six good shots in your frickin' face."

Rocket raised his gun pointing it past Rhea, but Quill jumped between him and Drax as Gamora held Drax back.

"No, no, no, four billion units! Rocket! Come on man, suck it up for one more lousy night and you're rich!" Peter negotiated. Slowly Rocket thought it over and lowered his gun.

"Fine, but I can't promise, when all this is over, I'm not going to kill every last one of you jerks." Rocket said.

"See, that is exactly why none of you have any friends!" Peter snapped at them all. "Five seconds after you meet somebody, you're already trying to kill them!"

"We have traveled halfway across the quadrant." Drax started. "And Ronan is no closer to being dead."

"Drax!" Quill called after him as he walked away.

"Let him go, we don't need him." Gamora said as a door slid open revealing a very pink girl who walked up to them.

"Milady Gamora, I am here to fetch you for my master." She said then bowed the through the doors.


	8. Chapter 8

Everywhere around them were glass cages that housed a variety of creatures, antiques, and plants.

"Ok, this isn't creepy at all." Rocket commented.

"We house the galaxy's largest collection of fauna, relics, and species of all manner." The pink girl said. Rhea glanced at the dog in the astronaut suit which growled at Rocket as he passed, Rocket returning the favor. They stopped a distance away from a man who had his back to them flanked by two other men. "I present to you Tanleer Tivan, The Collector."

"My dead Gamora, how wonderful to meet you in the flesh." Tivan said as he walked up to them taking Gamora's hand and kissing the back of it.

"Let's bypass the formalities, Tivan." Gamora took her hand from his, but Tivan was already looking to Groot. "We have what we discussed."

"What is that thing there?" Tivan asked haltingly.

"I am Groot." Groot replied.

"I never thought I'd meet a Groot." Tivan remarked walking up to Groot. "Sir, you must allow me to pay you now so that I may own your carcass." Rhea and Rocket exchanged slightly freaked out looks. "At the moment of you death of course."

"I am Groot." Groot answered.

"Why, so he can turn you into a frickin' chair?" Rocket scoffed.

"That's your pet?" Tivan nodded to Rocket before the others could warn him.

"His what?!" Rocket snapped going for his gun as Tivan grinned down at him.

"I don't know, is that your broken face." Rhea snapped as she popped her knuckles wiping the grin from Tivan's face.

"Tivan." Gamora recalled his attention. "We have been hallway around the galaxy retrieving this orb."

"Very well then, let us see that you brought." Trivan said and Gamora looked to Peter who took out the orb only to drop it. He quickly snatched it back up and held it out again trying to act like he hadn't just dropped it.

Tivan took the orb from him and walked over to a table placing it in a holder.

"Oh my new friends, before creation itself, there were six singularities." Tivan told them as he activated his machine which twisted the orb back and forth causing a hologram of sixteen circles to appear each depicting a reaction to the explosion. "Then the universe exploded into existence, and the remnants of these systems were formed into concentrated ingots."

Tivan pointed to a picture of stones being formed and Rhea felt her world tilt.

"Infinity Stones." Rhea breathed out in shock.

"Correct." Tivan looked to her. "These stones it seems can only be brandished by beings of extraordinary strength. Observe." Tivan gestured to another screen where an immense robot like creature wielding a stone destroyed an entire planet. "These carriers can use the stone to mow down entire civilizations like wheat in a field."

"There's a little pee coming out of me right now." Peter commented, Tivan shot him an un-amused look.

"Once for a moment a group was able to share the energy amongst themselves, but even they were quickly destroyed by it." A screen depicted Tivan's words as the people surrounding the stone were consumed. Rhea shuddered as she looked to the purple glowing stone that had been within the orb. Tivan shuddered gripping his hands in shaking fists then gesturing grandly to the stone. "Beautiful, beyond compare."

"Blah, blah, blah, we're all very fascinated whitey." Rocket mocked his movements. "But we'd like to get paid."

"How would you like to get paid?" Tivan asked as the holograms disappeared and he led them away, no one noticing the slave approaching the stone.

"What do you think fancy man? Units!" Rocket snapped.

"Very well then." Tivan opened a drawer and started to extract the money stopping when he saw what his worker was going to do. "Carina, stand back!"

"I will no longer be your slave!" Carina yelled grabbing the orb then screaming in horrible pain as it consumed her.

Groot grabbed Rocket out running the blast while Gamora and Rhea tackled Peter behind some cover. The explosion was immense and for another moment in her life Rhea wished she had at least inherited her mother's ability to make shields. When everything calmed down Gamora, Rhea, and Peter peeked over their cover and surveyed the immense damage done to what was left of the Collector's home.

"What the…" Peter trailed off as Gamora ran over to the orb closing it back up around the stone.

"How could I think Tivan could contain whatever was within the orb?" Gamora questioned herself.

"You had no idea what it was and you're not the first to go to…." Rhea snapped her mouth shut. "Look it doesn't matter, we need to get that thing into safe hands."

"What do you still have it for?" Rocket nearly yelled as he and Groot walked over to them.

"What are we going to do, leave it in there?" Peter asked.

"I can't believe you had that in your purse." Rocket said as Peter shot him a look.

"It's not a purse, it's a knapsack." Peter shot back.

"We have to bring this to Nova Corps." Gamora said. "There's a chance they can contain it."

"Are you kidding me?" Rocket yelped. "We're wanted by the Nova Corps, just give it to Ronan."

"So he can destroy the galaxy?" Peter snapped.

"What are you some saint all of the sudden? What had the galaxy ever done for you? Why would you want to save it?" Rocket demanded.

"Because I am one of the idiots who lives in it." Peter yelled back.

"Peter, listen to me." Gamora grabbed Peter's lapel. "We cannot allow the stone to fall into Ronan's hands. We have to go back to your ship and deliver it to Nova."

"Right, right, okay. I think you're right." Peter nodded then took the orb from Gamora. "Or we could give it to somebody who's not going to arrest us, who's really nice, for a whole lot of money." Rhea snatched the orb back. "I think it's a really good balance between both of your points of view."

"You're despicable." Gamora snapped. "Dishonorable, faithless."

"And a total douche bag!" Rhea added as she turned to walk away with Gamora.

"Rhea, you're going with her? You'll be sent back to prison." Rocket called after her.

"Then I'm going back to prison. For once in a long time I'm going to do the right thing and make my family proud." Rhea said, but both she and Gamora stopped short.

"Oh no." Gamora and Rhea said at the same time.

"At last!" Drax called out swords raised as he stood before Ronan's ships laughing. "Finally I shall meet my foe and destroy him."

"You called Ronan!?" Peter snapped.

"Quill! Don't you move boy!" Yondu called out from acroos the market.

"Hey, that's that guy we were going to sale you to." Rhea commented before Gamora took off to some mining crafts, the others following. Gamora pulled a man out of his craft while the others got into some unoccupied ones.

"I told you, you can't fit. Now wait here. Rhea and I'll be back for you." Rocket said to Groot as he and Rhea climbed into separate pods.

"And keep an eye out for Drax. Rhea said before her pod closed and they all took off into the air.

"We got inbound." Rhea said as they weaved through the industrial city. They started to open fire concentrating on Gamora's ship. "And it seems they can track the orb, oh goody."

"Rocket, Rhea, keep them off Gamora until she gets to the Milano." Peter ordered.

"How? We've got no weaponry on these things." Rocket pointed out.

"These pods are industrial grade." Peter pointed out. "They're nearly indestructible."

"Not against necroblasts they're not." Rocket shot back.

"I don't think that's what he had in mind Rocket." Rhea caught on.

"Oh." Rocket also caught on then proceeded to ram into a ship causing it to hit another exploding on impact with a tower then he rammed straight through one ripping it apart.

Rhea followed his lead smashing into any of the ships that she could while Peter ripped into one using the pod controls to control the ship. He fired blasting more of Ronan's ships apart as they followed Gamora.

"I'm trapped; I can't make it to the Milano!" Gamora radioed the others. "I have to head out."

"Bad idea." Rhea called out.

"These things aren't meant go out there." Peter agreed, but Gamora didn't listen as she shot out into space. Rhea Rocket and Peter could only watch as Nebula destroyed Gamora's ship and retrieved the orb. They could see her floating amongst the debris of the pod, unmoving.

"Quill, Rhea come on, her body mods should keep her alive for a couple of more minutes, but there's nothing you can do for her, these pods aren't meant to be out here." Rocket told them. "In a second we're going to be in the same boat."

"There has to be something." Rhea breathed out as Peter looked from her then to Gamora. He knew enough about her to know that she had lost a lot over the years, a whole lot in fact, and looking at her even through the ship's glass he could see the old fears coming back to haunt her.

"Aw damn it. Rhea, go with Rocket." Peter ordered as he opened a comm link.

"Quill?" Rhea looked to him, Rocket also stopping and turning around.

"Yondu! Yondu! This is Quill, my coordinates are 227k324.

"Quill." Rocket called out. "Quill what are you doing?"

"Just outside of Knowhere. If you're there come get me, I'm all yours." Quill finished his comm then putting on his mask stepped out of his pod rocketing over to Gamora. He took of his mask placing it on her allowing her to breath.

"Quill, don't be ridiculous, get back into your pod." Rocket called out. "You can't fit to people in there, you're going to die. You will die in seconds Quill."

"Quill…you are a very brave man." Rhea said before he removed his mask and comm placing it on Gamora. A fleet of ravagers came upon them the largest ship taking in Gamora and Peter. "Come on Rocket, we need to get back to Groot."


	9. Chapter 9

Rocket and Rhea crashed back to the planet nearby Groot and Drax, Drax looking like a few miles of bad road covered in a yellow substance.

"Blasted Idiots, they're all idiots!" Rocket snapped as he climbed out of his pod and Rhea out of hers.

"Quill just gat captured along with Gamora by Yondu." Rhea told the others.

"None of this would have happened if you didn't try to single handedly take on a freakin' army!" Rocket yelled at Drax.

"You are right." Drax sighed. "I was a fool, all the anger, all the rage is just to cover my loss."

"Oh boo-hoo-hoo, my wife and child are dead." Rocket said getting a shocked gasp from Groot. "Oh I don't care if it's mean! Everybody's got dead people!"

"Although I do not agree with the way Rocket phrased it…" Rhea shot Rocket a sharp look. "He is right, the loss of your family is no excuse to get everybody else dead along the way."

"Come on Groot. Ronan had the stone. The only chance we got is to get to the other side of the universe as fast as we can and maybe, just maybe, we'll be able to live full lives before that whack-job ever gets there." Rocket snapped.

"I am Groot." Groot said as he stood up.

"Groot's right, we need to save them." Rhea nodded.

"Save them? How?" Rocket questioned.

"I am Groot." Groot replied.

"I know they're the only friends we ever had, but there's an army of ravagers around them and there's only three of us." Rocket snapped as Drax stood up.

"Four." Drax said placing his hand on Groot's shoulder as Rocket let out an annoyed snarl before he turned kicking a clump of grass.

"You…are…making…me…beat…up…grass!" Rocket emphasized every word with a vicious kick to the grass.

-0-

"I feel super silly doing this." Rhea commented as she shot at the giant ship that easily dwarfed the Milano.

"It was your idea." Rocket replied.

"Does not make me feel any less silly." Rhea sighed. "Rocket, say hello in that special way only you can."

"My pleasure." Rocket opened a comm. "Attention idiots, the lunatic on top of this craft it holding a Hadron Enforcer." Rocket said, indicating Drax who was on top of the Milan holding a large gun. "A weapon of my own design. If you don't hand over our companions now, he's going to tear your ship a new one, a very big new one."

"We're giving you to the count of five." Rhea said in a bored tone. "5, 4, 3…"

"Rhea, Rocket, it's me, for god sakes!" Peter quickly called out through the comm. "We figured it out, we're fine."

"Oh hey Quill, what's going on?" Rocket asked casually.


	10. Chapter 10

"You call that figured it out? We're going to rob the guys who just beat us senseless?!" Rocket snapped as they all sat around a cargo bay in the Ravager ship.

"Oh, you want to talk about senseless? How about trying to save us by blowing us up?" Peter snapped back.

"We were only going to blow you up if they didn't turn you over." Rocket replied.

"And how on earth were they gonna turn us over when you only gave them to the count of five?" Peter demanded.

"We didn't have time to work out the minutiae of the plan. This is what we get for acting altruistically." Rocket looked t Groot.

"I am Groot." Groot said.

"They are ungrateful, anyway it was Rhea's plan." Rocket motioned to her causing Peter to look to her.

"What?!" He yelped.

"It was a bluff, I wasn't really going to let Drax blow up the ship with you and Gamora on it." Rhea said shaking her head.

"Well that's reassuring." Peter threw up his hands.

"Hey, it worked didn't it?" Rhea rolled her eyes.

"We didn't need it to work, we had already saved ourselves." Peter replied.

"Then you should have said something." Rhea shot back.

"What's important now is that we get the ravagers army to help us save Xandar." Gamora cut the two off before the argument could escalate further.

"So we can give the stone to Yondu who's just going to sell it to somebody even worse?" Rocket questioned.

"We'll figure out that part later." Peter replied.

"We have to stop Ronan." Gamora said.

"How?" Rocket snapped.

"I have a plan." Peter replied.

"You've got a plan." Rocket echoed with a glare.

"Yes." Peter replied.

"First of all you're copying me from when I said I had a plan." Rocket said.

"No I'm not." Peter shot back. "People say that all the time, it's not that unique of a thing to say."

"Secondly, I don't even believe you have a plan." Rocket ignored his comment.

"I have a plan, I have part of a plan." Peter said falteringly.

"What percentage of a plan do you have?" Drax asked.

"You don't get to ask questions after the nonsense you pulled on Knowhere." Gamora snapped at him.

"You nearly got us all killed." Rhea glared with equal anger.

"I saved Quill." Draw replied.

"We already established that destroying the ship that I'm on is not saving me." Peter said with a look.

"When did we establish that?" Drax asked.

"Like three seconds ago." Peter said in a high pitched voice.

"I was not listening, I was thinking of something else." Drax replied making Gamora groan as Rhea let out a scoffing laugh that was caught between amusement and annoyance.

"She's right, you don't get an opinion." Rocket snapped at Drax then turned back to Peter. "What percentage?"

"I don't know, twelve percent." Peter replied.

"Twelve percent?!" Rocket started to laugh hysterically.

"That's a fake laugh." Peter glared.

"It's real." Rocket replied.

"It's totally fake." Peter shook his head.

"It's the most real authentic hysterical laugh of my entire laugh because that is not a plan." Rocket snapped.

"It's barely a plan." Gamora agreed. "It's barely a concept."

"You're taking their side?" Peter looked to Gamora.

"I am Groot." Groot commented.

"So what if it's better than eleven percent?" Rocket scoffed at him. "What the hell does that have to do with anything?"

"Thank you Groot, thank you." Peter clapped Groot on the shoulder. Groot looked to his shoulder and spying a leaf started to try and eat it. "See, Groots the only one of you that has a clue." Peter followed everyone's gazes to Groot then let out an annoyed sound as he put a hand over his eyes shaking his head. "Guys come on, Yondu is going to be here in two seconds. He expects to hear this big plan of ours. I need your help." Peter tried. "I look around at us, you know what I see…losers."

"That is not encouraging at all." Rhea commented resting her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands as she looked up to Quill.

"I mean folks who have lost stuff." Quill amended. "And we have, man we have, all of us. Our homes," Peter looked to Gamora. "Our families," He looked to Drax and Rhea. "Normal lives," He looked to Groot and Rocket. "And usually life takes more than it gives, but not today. Today it's given us something, it has given us a chance."

"To do what?" Drax asked.

"To give a s***." Peter replied. "For once, not run away. I for one am not going to stand by and watch as Ronan wipes out billions of innocent lives."

"But Quill, stopping Ronan, it's impossible. You're asking us to die." Rocket said softly.

"Yeah, I guess I am." Peter sighed shaking his head before he walked away dejectedly.

"I'm in." Rhea said suddenly getting surprised looks from everyone as she stood up.

"You're just going along with cause you think he's cute." Rocket snapped half-heartedly causing Peter to grin a little.

"That is one of my reasons yes, but I also believe that we need to do this." Rhea said crossing her arms, completely unfazed by Rockets comment. She didn't care if Peter knew she thought he was cute. "I think if I helped save a world once I can certainly do it again for another, my life would be the least I could give or have given. Plus it's nice to be a part of something bigger again."

"I have lived most of my life surrounded by my enemies." Gamora said as she too stood to her feet. "I would be grateful to die amongst my friends."

"You are an honorable man Quill, I will fight beside you." Drax said then placed a hand on Rhea shoulder empathizing with her. "And in the end see my wife and daughter again as you will come to see family once more."

"I am Groot." Groot said standing to his feet, now all eyes turned on Rocket.

"Oh what the hell, I don't got that long a life span anyway." Rocket said as he to stood up. "Now I'm standin', ya'll happy? We're all standing up now. Bunch of J******** standing in a circle."


	11. Chapter 11

"The stone reacts to anything organic." Rhea said as she Gamora and Peter debriefed everyone.

"The bigger the target the bigger the power surge." Gamora said.

"All Ronan has to do is touch the planet's surface and zap. All plants animals Nova Corps…" Quill listed off.

"Everything will die." Gamora simplified Quill's statement.

"So Ronan does not make the surface." Rhea ordered.

"Rocket will lead a team to blow a hole in the Dark Aster's starboard hull." Quill brought up an attack simulation on a monitor. " Then our craft and Yondu's will enter."

"Won't there be hundreds of Sakaaran soldiers inside?" Yondu's second asked.

"I think of Sakaaran as paper people." Drax commented from next to him, the second in command nodded in amusement punching Drax in the shoulder lightly only to get a dark look in return that made him back off.

"Once they know we're on board Ronan will isolate himself behind impenetrable security doors on deck." Gamora went on. "Which I can disable by dismantling the power source."

"We'll make it to the flight deck and I'll use the Hadron enforcer to kill Ronan." Peter said.

"Once Ronan is dead we will retrieve the stone, use these devices to contain it." Rhea told them as silver orbs were handed out. "If you touch it, it will kill you."

"I'll contact one of the Nova Officers who arrested us. Hopefully they'll believe we're there to help." Quill said.

"There is one more thing we need to complete the plan." Rocket called out then pointed at one of the ravagers. "That guys eye."

"No, no, we don't. No we don't need that guys eye." Peter said quickly.

"No seriously, I need it. It's very important to me." Rocket chuckled before they broke up to get ready.

The team had separated into different rooms changing their clothes for the fight. Rhea had changed into a high necked sleeveless dark red backless crop top with even darker red accents with a flame like emblem over her heart, a pair of tight pants, fingerless elbow length gloves, and knee high boots all matching in their color scheme to her top.

She stepped out into the main hall waiting for the others, Peter was the first to arrive and she followed him down the hall sending him a quick smile which he returned. They were joined by Gamora, the Drax, next was Rocket, then finally Groot completing the new group.

'Ronan's fleet has been spotted, and will arrive in t-minus fifteen minutes.'

They all got into position Rhea jumping into the co-pilots seat as Peter took the captains seat of the Milano, Drax Groot and Gamora taking the seats behind them before they took off with all of the others.

"This is a terrible plan." Gamora said.

"Hey, you're the one who said you wanted to die amongst friends." Peter replied.

"I personally like this plan, I'm excited to be a part of it." Rhea commented with a devilish grin as Ronan's ship descended upon them. "There she blows."

"Fire!" Yondu fired to blasts that laid down a bright fiery blanket of cover for them. "Cover it down, submerge!"

They all flew down under Ronan's ship putting their plan into action.

"Rocket hurry!" Peter called out as Rocket led two other Ravager ships in close to Ronan's where they started to concentrate their fire to make a hole.

"Quill, Yondu, now!" Rocket called out as the hole was made.

"We're inbound Rocket." Rhea replied as they weaved through the battle.

"Aw hell, I'm going down. No more games with me boy, I'll see you at the end of this!" Yondu called out as he crashed due to a run in with an enemy ship to his wing.

"There are too many of them Rocket!" Gamora called out as they were hit. "We'll never make it up there."

Suddnely star shaped ships appeared all around them joining in the fight.

"Peter Quill, this is Denarian Saal of the Nova Corps." Saal said over the comm. "For the record I advised against trusting you here."

"They got my 'dick' message." Peter cheered getting looks from the others.

"Prove me wrong." Saal finished.

"Let's punch it." Rhea said as Peter shot them forward straight through the hole into Ronan's ship. They skidded along with Drax laughing in excitement the whole way as the other exchanged unsettled looks.

"Yes!" Drax cheered.

"Well if we're going to die, might as well have fun with it." Rhea shrugged as they were fired on. Quill pulled hard on his controls causing then to turn so he could return fire blasting the enemy down before they came to a stop. Drax laughed as he raised his hands into the air. "Let's go meet the neighbors."

They all filed out of their ship cautiously making sure that no enemy lingered to ambush them.

"I can barely see." Drax said. Groot raised his hand and from it pinpoints of light like fireflies floated into the air surrounding them bathing everything in a golden light. They all gazed around them in wonder, Rhea smiling softly as she raised her hand catching one in the palm of her hand before softly blowing it away, not noticing Quill watching her with a strange warm look in his eyes. "When did you learn to do that?"

"Pretty sure the answer is "I am Groot"." Peter answered for him and Groot nodded.

"The flight deck is three hundred meter this way." Gamora said leading them on.

"I want you all to know that I am grateful for your acceptance of my blunders. It is pleasing to once again have friends." Drax told them all as they walked. "You, Quill, are my friend."

"Thanks." Quill replied.

"You Rhea, are my friend." Drax said.

"Right back at you big guy." Rhea said with a smile.

"This dumb tree, he is my friend." Drax said to Groot who nodded. "This green whore, she too…"

"Oh you must stop!" Gamora snapped just before Nebula jumped out in front of them.

"Gamora, look at what you have done. You have always been weak. You stupid, traitorous…" Nebula was cut off by a blast to her stomach and everyone turned to Drax who held his gun pointed at where she had once stood.

"Nobody talks to my friends like that." Drax said and Gamora actually looked a little touched by the sentiment for a moment.

"Head to the flight deck, I'll shut down the power to the security doors." Gamora said before she walked away the others going the opposite way.

They ran following Quill through the maze that made up the ship until they came upon a group of armed soldiers lead by a man with cybernetic implants in his head.

"Star-Lord." The cyber man breathed out.

"Finally." Quill smirked before they attacked.

Rhea formed a whirl wind around her sucking the soldiers in before she shot them back with lightening and fire. A man broke through her wind barrier striking her down, but she rolled coming up just in time to grip him by his neck freezing then crushing it severing his head from his body. She stepped back into some shadows using them as camouflage so she could sneak attack other soldiers with blasts of light.

"You thief!" The blue eyed man snarled kicking Quill before Drax threw his knives at him missing as he dodged, but killing two more soldiers then deflected a direct attack from Ronan. "You will never make it to Ronan."

Drax and the blue eyed guy were locked in a fight while Groot Quill and Rhea held back the soldiers. Drax pinned his opponent gripping his throat and ripping out his cybernetic head implants.

"Finger to the throat means death." Drax snarled before he finished him off leaving him twitching on the ground. Drax looked to Quill. "Metaphor."

"Yeah, sorta." Quill nodded as they ran for the hall. "Oh no."

A lot more men came rushing at them only for Groot to grown his arms through a majority of them then use them as a mace beating them all to death before he released them then turned back to the others with a large smile.

"Sometimes you just make me so proud." Rhea grinned then started down the hall. "Come on guys, let's get a move on."

"Quill you got to hurry, the city's been evacuated, but we're getting our a**** kicked down here." Rocket said through the comms. as they fought their way to the security doors.

"Gamora hasn't opened the doors." Quill replied as he readied the weapon while Groot and Rhea tried to get through the door.

Finally Gamora managed to get it open as well as blast her way in, all of them coming together taking out soldiers as they went just in time for Quill to shoot Ronan. The powerful blast enveloped Ronan making them all turn away at its force.

"You did it!" Drax cheered, but Ronan stood unscathed. Rhea and Peter's eyes met just before they were all blasted back. Drax recovered first charging at Ronan who grabbed him by his throat raising him off of the ground.

"I was mistaken, I do remember your family." Rhea stumbled to her feet her eyes going wide as she saw what was coming at them. "Their screams were pitiful, I…"

Rhea ran forward using her wind to speed herself tackling Drax out of Ronan's hand just in time for Rocket to crash his ship into the Dark Aster and mow down Ronan; Rhea and Drax barely getting out of the way in time. Drax protected her from the debris taking the brunt of the damage himself knocking him out cold.

"Rhea!" Gamora called out as she came over to them, the ship crumbling apart.

"I'm here, help me with Drax!" Rhea called out and together the two girls managed to drag him over to the others. "Rocket?!"

"He's just unconscious." Peter retrieved Rocket from the crashed ship carrying him over, all of them kneeling on the ground. Rhea gently placed her hand on Rockets head, Groot joining them also looking concerned for his friend as the ship started to nose dive.

"I guess this is it." Rhea said softly as she looked up at Peter who nodded then Groot started to wrap his vines around them all encasing them in a woven ball lighting it up with his light pollen.

"Groot." Rhea said softly in a pained voice. Rocket stirred looking around him as Groots vines secured them in their place.

"No Groot." Rocket cried out as he scrambled over to him, Rhea following.

"Please don't do this." Rhea begged, tears streaming down her face.

"You can't, you'll die. Why are you doing this?" Rocket demanded as Groot wiped their tears away with smaller vines. "Why?"

"We. Are. Groot." Groot replied before they hit, the explosion enveloping everything.

-0-

Rhea slowly came around, every ounce of her being in pain, before she shot up in realization. Starring around herself she saw bits of broken twigs littering the ground and Rocket not too far away holding some in his paws.

"I called him an idiot." Rocket said in quilt and sadness. Rhea made to go over to him, but Ronan stepped forward his hammer with the blazing purple stone held aloft in his hand. "You killed Groot!"

Rocket rushed at him only to be flung back with a small burst of the stones power.

"Rocket!" Rhea screamed as she tried to stand.

"Behold, your guardians of the galaxy." Ronan taunted. "What fruit they have wrought? Only that my father and his father shall finally know vengeance." Everyone pointedly looked away from Rocket who worked furiously on a device as Ronan monologued. "People of Xandar, the time has come to rejoice and renounce your poultry gods." He raised his hammer. "Your salvation is at hand."

"Oh child things are going to get easier." Peter started to sing and dance a bit causing Ronan to pause. "Listen to these words." He continued to sing as everyone looked on. "Now bring it down hard."

"What are you doing?" Ronan asked in confusion.

"Dance off, bro. Me and you." Peter replied as he danced. "Gamora." He looked to the green girl who shook her head. "Subtle, take it back." He looked to Rhea. "What about you Rhea?"

"Oh what the heck." Rhea replied as she joined his dance throwing out her own moves.

"Nice." Quill complimented her on her Pop n Lock dance.

"What are you doing?" Ronan reiterated a little more forcefully.

"We're distracting you, you big turd blossom." Peter replied as a gun cocked behind Ronan who turned to face Drax, Rocket, and a big gun.

They fired shattering the hammer and the stone went flying. Peter dove for it barely gabbing it away from Ronan. The power of the stone instantly started to consume him as he screamed and a cloud of power swirled violently around him.

"Peter! Take my hand!" Rhea called out as she forced her way through the power to him her hand stretched before her. He turned to her not really seeming to see her. "Take my hand!"

Peter grasped Rhea's hand and the power surged into her hitting her like nothing she had ever felt before. Gamora struggled up to them taking Rhea's hand in hers sharing the burden as did Drax grasping Peters shoulder and Rocket holding onto Drax, the power of the stone coming under their control once the four of them stood together.

"You're mortal, how?" Ronan demanded in shock.

"You said it yourself." Rhea answered.

"We're the guardians of the galaxy." Peter finished before using the stone to destroy Ronan before Gamora slammed an orb over it stopping its power.

"Well, well, well." Yondu said as he walked up to them. "Quite the light show, ain't this sweet, but you got some business to attend to before all the nookie-nookie starts."

"Peter, you can't…Peter…" Rhea shook her head.

"You got to re-consider this Yondu." Peter tried. "I don't know who you're selling this to, but the only way this universe can survive is if you give it to the Nove Corps."

"I may be as pretty as an angel, but I sure as hell ain't one." Yondu pulled his jacket aside so his arrow was ready to go then held out his hand. "Hand it over son."

Reluctantly Peter did so and Yondu laughed as he held it before giving the signal for his men to move out.

"Yondu, do not open that orb. You know that right?" Peter asked nervously. "You've seen what it does to people."

Yondu gave him one last smirk before he walked away he and his men taking off.

"He is going to be so pissed when he realizes I switched out the orb on him." Peter said taking out the real orb.

"You think he would have expected it." Rhea commented.

"He's going to kill you Peter." Gamora said with a dry laugh.

"Oh I know." Peter nodded. "But he's about all the family I had."

"No." Rhea said taking his hand giving it a squeeze. "He wasn't."

Rhea looked sadly over to where Rocket was crying while Drax soothing stroked his head. Rhea walked over to him kneeling down in front of him. Taking a piece of debris transfiguring it into a small plant pot and manipulated some dirt into it then she gently took the twig in Rockets paws and planted it in the dirt. Placing her hands on either side she closed her eyes in concentration as the other watched her iridescent colored magic seep into the dirt.


	12. Chapter 12

"Why would you even know this?" Peter asked as they were all gathered in the Nova Corps. control room staring at a x-ray hologram of Peter.

"When we arrested you we noticed an anomaly in your nervous system, so we had it checked out." Dey said.

"I'm not Terran?" Peter questioned.

"You're half Terran." Prime replied. "Your mother was of Earth, your father, well, he's something very ancient we've never seen here before."

"That could be why you were able to hold the stone for as long as you did." Gamora commented.

"Welcome to the half-breed club Quill." Rhea clapped him on the shoulder making him smile a little. "We should make shirts."

"Your friends have arrived." Prime said as Drax and Rocket who was carrying a pot walked in. "On behalf of the Nova Corps, we would like to profess our profound gratitude for your help in saving Xandar. If you will follow Denarian Dey, he as something to show you."

They followed Dey out of the room Gamora falling into step next to Drax.

"Your wife and child shall rest well knowing that you have avenged them." Gamora said.

"Yes." Drax replied. "Of course Ronan was only a puppet. It's really Thanos I need to kill."

"Mind if I help?" Rhea asked with a dark smirk.

"I would be honored to have you help me rip his limbs from his body." Drax nodded as they stepped out on a large balcony.

"We tried to keep it as close to the original as possible." Dey said motioning to the new Malino. "We salvaged as much as we could."

"Wow." Peter said. "Thank you."

"I have a family, they're alive because of you." Dey replied. "Your Criminal records have also been expunged. However I have to warn you against breaking any laws in the future."

"Spoil sport." Rhea muttered.

"Question, what if I see something that I want to take and it belongs to someone else?" Rocket asked.

"You will be arrested." Dey replied.

"But what if I want it more than the person who has it?" Rocket went on.

"It's still illegal." Dey answered.

"That doesn't follow." Rocket shook his head. "No, I want it more sir, do you understand?" Rocket noticed Gamora. "What are you laughing at?" Gamora lead him away from the group to the ship. "Why? I can't have a discussion with this gentleman?"

"What if someone does something irksome and I decide to remove his spine?" Drax asked.

"That's…that's actually murder. It's one of the worst crimes of all." Dey replied no completely sure if Drax was serious or not. "So also illegal."

"Hmm." Drax nodded before also going to the ship.

"They'll be fine Dey, I'm gonna keep an eye on them." Peter assured them.

"You?" Dey questioned.

"Yeah." Peter nodded. "Me."

"And I will keep an eye on Peter." Rhea looping her arm with his. "Now let's get to the ship before Rocket decides he wants it more than you."

"Bye Dey." Peter said as he quickly started for the ship with Rhea in tow.

-0-

Rhea stood back watching as Peter read a letter from his mother before opening his last gift from her. He pulled out a cassette tape tears in his eyes as he placed it into his player turning it up, the first song playing 'Ain't no Mountain High Enough.' Rhea walked forward with a smile as Peter looked up to her swaying to the song a bit getting Peter to smile back.

-0-

Rhea stood behind Peter who was in the pilot's seat smiling to Rocket who was in the co-pilots seat holding baby Groot in his lap. Gamora stood next to Drax who had taken the center seat as they started to take off.

"So what should we do now? Something good? Something bad? A bit of both?" Peter questioned.

"We'll follow your lead, Star Lord." Gamora replied.

"Bit of both." Peter said reving up the engines.

"You are a man after my own heart." Rhea grinned as they took off into space.


End file.
